7 Interactive Website Builders For Different Business Types
By Sam Nguyen
In this article, we explore a diverse range of 7 interactive website builders tailored for various business types.
Benefits of Interactive Websites for Businesses
Interactive websites offer businesses numerous advantages, some of which include:
- Enhanced User Engagement: Interactive features like quizzes, polls, and games captivate visitors, keeping them on the site longer and fostering a deeper connection.
- Improved User Experience: Interactive elements provide a more enjoyable and memorable experience, enhancing overall satisfaction and encouraging repeat visits.
- Increased Conversion Rates: Engaged users are more likely to convert into customers. Interactive content can guide visitors through the sales funnel, boosting conversion rates.
- Competitive Edge: A website that stands out with interactive features can give a business a competitive edge, making it more memorable in a crowded online marketplace.
Top 7 Website Builders To Create Interactive Sites
Now that we understand the substantial benefits of interactive websites for businesses, let’s dive into the world of the top 7 website builders perfect for creating interactive sites.
For Startups and Small Businesses
If you’re running a startup or a small business, you know how important it is to find a website builder that’s both affordable and packed with features. Here are the 3 best choices you should consider:
Canva
Overview
Canva is an online graphic design platform that streamlines digital design. This tool offers a simplified experience similar to Photoshop but without the complex learning curve.
Website building and Interactive features
- Interactive Templates: Canva offers a range of templates specifically designed to be interactive, such as quizzes, interactive presentations, and social media stories. It also allows you to animate text and elements, adding motion to your designs.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor: Its easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor is ideal for non-designers to create professional-looking graphics and pages.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Designs created in Canva can be made responsive for mobile devices, ensuring they look great and function well on any screen size.
- Video and Audio Integration: You can embed videos and audio clips directly into your designs, enhancing the multimedia aspect of presentations, social media posts, and other digital content of your website.
Pricing
- Free plan available.
- Canva Pro: $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year for one user
- Canva for Team: $14.99 per month or $149.90 annually for the first five users
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Design experience is not required. Simple interface and design flexibility Extensive collection of ready-to-use templates. Ability to add animation, quizzes, interactive presentations, and social media stories to the website Drag-and-drop functionality | Limited customization options compared to specialized website-building platforms. SEO limitations Limited to creating one-page websites |
WordPress
Overview
WordPress stands out as a highly versatile website builder, widely acclaimed for its flexibility and extensive customization options, allowing users to create an interactive site.
Website building and Interactive features
- Drag-and-drop feature: This tool enables easy manipulation of page elements. You can add, delete, or reorder sections according to your preference.
- Ready-made templates: These are pre-created designs available for immediate use on your website. Available in various styles, they can be tailored to meet your requirements.
- Personalization features: Adjust various aspects like colors, fonts, and layouts to modify your website’s appearance. This helps in crafting a distinct site that mirrors your brand identity.
- Integrate interactive Functions: With plugins like Contact Form 7 or WPForms, users can create interactive forms for surveys, contact pages, or feedback.
- Multimedia support: WordPress supports many multimedia elements, including images, audio, and video, which can be easily integrated into pages and posts.
- Custom CSS access: For more detailed control over your site’s design, some builders can insert your own CSS code.
- Custom Post Types and Taxonomies: Users can create custom post types and taxonomies, enhancing the organization and display of different content.
- Animation and Dynamic Elements: Page builder plugins like Elementor or Divi offer dynamic elements and animations to create more engaging and visually appealing websites.
Pricing: WordPress offers 6 subscription options with a free plan available and 5 paid plans starting at $4/month.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| No coding skills are required Plenty of ready-to-use templates Free plan available Numerous design options Easy options for updates and changes make maintenance straightforward Strong community support | Extra costs for additional features may be required Plugin reliability |
Webflow
Overview
Webflow is a customizable website builder that enables owners to create advanced interactive designs using a straightforward drag-and-drop editor. This platform allows you to design, build, and launch websites easily.
Website building and Interactive features
- Drag-and-drop features: Webflow offers a sophisticated visual editor that allows designers to create custom websites without writing code.
- Adaptive design: The platform enables the creation of responsive designs that automatically adjust to look great on any device, from desktops to smartphones.
- Customizable Templates: Users can start with a template or build a site from scratch. The templates are fully customizable, allowing for unique design adjustments.
- Dynamic elements and animations: Webflow allows designers to add complex animations and interactions to their websites, like hover effects, scroll animations, and more, without coding.
Pricing: The platform has 5 subscription plans, including a free plan for starters and 4 paid plans from $18/month for advanced users.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Many pre-made responsive and customizable templates Interactive design elements such as display panels, modals, and more Drag-and-drop interface Sophisticated animations and interactions | Smaller selection of templates compared to platforms like WordPress Complex animations and interactions can affect website performance Some advanced interactions may not work consistently across all browsers |
For Growing Medium-sized Businesses
For medium-sized businesses experiencing growth and requiring more sophisticated website solutions, these website builders are an excellent choice to consider.
Wix
Overview
Wix is a user-friendly, cloud-based website builder that offers a range of customizable templates with engaging interactive elements. It is an appealing choice for growing medium-sized businesses looking for a balance of ease of use and robust functionality.
Website building and Interactive features
- User-Friendly Interface: Wix’s editor allows users to easily drag and drop elements onto their web pages, making the design process intuitive and straightforward without coding knowledge.
- App integrations: The Wix App Market offers a wide range of applications and services that can be integrated into Wix websites to extend the functionality.
- Rich library of templates: Wix offers a vast array of customizable templates suited for various industries and purposes, allowing users to tweak designs to match their specific branding and style preferences.
- Advanced interactive elements: Wix provides options to add animations, video backgrounds, interactive slideshows, image galleries, and scroll effects to enhance the visual appeal of websites.
- Analytics and reports: The platform comes with detailed analytics and reporting, enabling users to track website performance and visitor behavior.
Pricing: Wix has 5 subscription plans for personal and business use, starting from $16/month.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly, no coding or web development experience needed. Affordable pricing Fast loading times, ideal for creating responsive websites. Easy drag-and-drop editor ADI tool for quick website creation Built-in interactive elements | Cannot change templates once the site is live Limited functionality on the free plan Limited customization options compared to other platforms like WordPress |
Squarespace
Overview
Squarespace is a highly regarded website builder known for its sleek design and user-friendly interface. It is a suitable choice for growing medium-sized businesses seeking an interactive website platform.
Website building and Interactive features
- Stylish customizable templates: Squarespace is known for its range of professionally designed, sleek, visually appealing templates that cater to various industries.
- User-Friendly Editor: The platform provides a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to add, move, and edit elements on your website without needing to code.
- Animations and Effects: You can add animations and visual effects to enhance your site’s engagement.
- Image Galleries: Create dynamic image galleries and slideshows to showcase products or portfolios.
- Integrations: The platform offers various integrations with third-party tools and services, enhancing your website’s capabilities.
Pricing: Squarespace has 4 subscription plans, starting from $16/month (if paid annually).
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Over 100 stunning customizable templates Built-in SEO tools Easy integration with various social media platforms Various interactive elements | Limited customization flexibility Limited third-party apps and extensions Slower loading times, particularly on content-rich sites or those with high-resolution images. |
For Ecommerce Businesses
Let’s delve into the top choices of interactive website builders for ecommerce businesses.
Shopify
Overview
Shopify is an industry-leading e-commerce platform widely recognized for its comprehensive and user-friendly features that cater specifically to online businesses. Its interactive website builder is designed to support the unique needs of e-commerce businesses of all sizes.
Website building and Interactive features
- Variety of Themes: Shopify offers a diverse range of professional themes tailored for different e-commerce businesses. These themes already include interactive features to help your store uniquely stand out.
- Easy to Use: The platform features a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, allowing for simple and quick website customization and layout changes.
- E-commerce Functionality: Shopify offers robust ecommerce tools, including product management, inventory management, digital products, abandoned cart recovery, and a seamless checkout experience.
- SEO and Marketing Tools: Shopify includes built-in SEO features to help improve your site’s visibility in search engine results. Tools for email marketing, social media integration, and creating discount codes are also available.
- Customer Engagement: Features like product reviews, live chat, and customer wish lists help in engaging with customers more interactively.
- Multimedia Integration: You can add interactive elements like videos and 3D models to your page.
Pricing: Shopify offers 5 subscription plans, 4 of which allow you to create a full-function website, the price starts from $39 per month.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Easy-to-use interface Built-in email marketing tool Over 150 customizable themes with ready-made interactive elements Comprehensive e-commerce tools Over 8,500 apps to enhance the store’s design and functionality 24/7 customer support | Higher price compared to other website builders Theme customization limits Themes with many interactive elements may come with additional costs |
BigCommerce
Overview
BigCommerce is a powerful e-commerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes, offering a range of features that support the creation of interactive, robust online stores.
Website building and Interactive features
- Diverse themes with design flexibility: BigCommerce provides various themes, each customizable to fit various business styles and preferences. Users have the freedom to tailor these themes using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, offering significant control over the website’s appearance.
- Mobile-friendly design: All BigCommerce themes make your site mobile-friendly, from the homepage to checkout.
- Interactive product displays: The platform has tools to create engaging product pages with image galleries, videos, and zoom-in features.
- Customer engagement tools: BigCommerce allows customers to leave reviews and ask questions directly on product pages. It also offers real-time customer support and engagement through live chat functionalities.
- Custom forms and surveys: Store owners can easily create interactive forms and surveys to gather customer feedback and insights.
Pricing: BigCommerce has 3 subscription plans, ranging from $29/month.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| User-friendly for both tech-savvy and non-technical users Built-in features across all plans Reporting & analytics cover various business aspects Various built-in ecommerce features Many customization options with multiple types of interactive elements | Higher costs Fewer design templates compared to other platforms The platform can be complex for beginners Limited content management features Limitations in design flexibility compared to fully custom-built solutions. |
Tips For Making The Most Out Of Your Interactive Website Builders
Interactive website builders offer a variety of ways to captivate and interact with your audience.
Here’s how to effectively use these tools:
- Position interactive elements strategically to boost user engagement. For example, placing an interactive quiz or poll created with a quiz maker on the homepage can immediately draw visitors in and encourage interaction.
- Blend interactive features with informative content to enhance understanding. A good practice is pairing a clickable image gallery with descriptive text, allowing visitors to interactively explore more details about your products or services.
- Make sure that interactive elements are easily accessible to all users, including mobile devices. This means ensuring large buttons are easy to tap and interactive sections like forms or quizzes quickly load and function smoothly on various screen sizes.
- Employ visual cues like icons, arrows, or highlighted text to guide visitors through interactive elements on your site. This helps create a flow that naturally leads users from one interactive feature to another.
There are some common pitfalls to avoid:
- While interactive elements are beneficial, too many on one page can be overwhelming. Aim for a balance that keeps the site visually appealing and functionally straightforward.
- With many users accessing websites via mobile devices, ensure that all interactive features are fully optimized for mobile use. This includes testing loading times and interactive responses on various devices.
- Regularly gather and analyze user feedback about the interactive elements on your site. This feedback is invaluable in understanding user preferences and adjusting for improved engagement.
- Interactive features should enhance, not complicate, the user journey on your site. Avoid complex navigation structures that can confuse visitors. Instead, opt for a clear, intuitive navigation pathway that enhances the user experience.
Wrapping Up
Each of these seven interactive website builders offers unique features and functionalities tailored to various business needs. With these insights, you’re well-equipped to select the website builder that aligns perfectly with your business vision and audience needs.
FAQs
